


Laws of Love

by LunaNomea



Category: Death Note, Death Note & Related Fandoms, Death Note (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-02
Updated: 2015-03-02
Packaged: 2018-03-16 01:11:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3468863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaNomea/pseuds/LunaNomea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>L was supposed to die. But after unforeseen forces cause him to live a life void of anyone and everything he knew, he finds himself bored and unable to shake the feeling that his life is now meaningless. Until someone comes into his life that seems to change that. Could possibly be rated M in the future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> How to Use It
> 
> XV
> 
> o When the same name is written on more than two Death Notes, the Note which was first filled in will take effect, regardless of the time of death.
> 
> o If writing the same name on more than two Death Notes is completed within a 0.06 - second difference, it is regarded as simultaneous; the Death Note will not take effect and the individual written will not die.

He'd never seen so many colors on a person before.

A young woman walked into the cafe he was currently sitting in, wearing possibly every color ever created in one outfit. His dark large eyes followed her movements in curiosity, possibly from boredom. She had thick blond hair that reached her mid-back in waves. From here, he could tell she had light colored eyes - most likely blue. She was wearing a black skirt with multi-colored polka dots patterning the material, green tights underneath to keep her legs warm from the dropping degrees of December, hot pink boots, a white feathered down coat with purple fur lining the hood, a red scarf, orange mittens, a yellow knit hat, and (from what he could see) some sort of pink shirt underneath. Even the purse she wore across her body was different colors patched together to look like a seventies quilt.

She had to be, by far, the most interesting person he'd ever laid eyes on. But...

Again, it could be because he was bored.

She wore a bright smile on her face, as if having the time of her life - despite only being in a cafe. She was extremely polite with absolutely every one she spoke to regarding her orders or even if she accidentally brushed against someone while walking towards a chair. She had obviously been brought up by warm loving parents that knew what they were doing. She was... quite beautiful too. Her skin was a clear pale nude color, with round cheeks that were a bit pink from the cold. Her eyes (definitely blue) sparkled from the fire in the fireplace to his right, glancing around the cafe absently before settling them on her book that she pulled from her purse. She had pink pouty lips that curved upwards naturally into a bow.

He had to admit, he'd never really had the chance to just look at a woman before until now.

He had returned to England a few years ago, settling in London because of how large it was. His face could be lost among the others and no one would notice him. When he had first arrived, he hadn't left the townhouse he bought for many months. The only time he even stepped foot outside, was to go across the street to this cafe and get coffee and as many sweets as he could get before submerging into his home.

Being without Watari was very difficult. He had been the only male figure in his life since attending Wammy's Orphanage. He had taken on a sort of father like quality towards him and had been an incredible help in all aspects of his life. He did regret making that awful mistake of not seeing it sooner - knowing Kira would go after Watari should have been on his mind. Unfortunately, so many other things had been going through his mind at the time.

Mentally shaking himself, he blinked and pushed his low feelings aside in order to look back at the girl that had peaked his interest. He now felt comfortable enough to sit down at the cafe - instead of just grab food and run - and especially enjoyed the fireplace during the cold weather. Christmas actually, was just around the corner.

It wasn't until then that he realized he'd been caught staring. By her. Her eyes hesitantly rose until locking onto his, causing his heart to speed up in betrayal. He wanted to look away, like he would normally do when he caught the eyes of someone, but the fact that her lips began to curve upwards at him stopped him from doing so.

Then she looked back down at her book. He swallowed thickly, the cup of coffee in his hand almost slipping from his grip on it. He had never been easy to get along with, and that included the female gender. The only women he had ever had contact with was either an accomplice in a crime or a team member that he hadn't even seen in real life. Keeping his identity hidden had been his top priority in his career as the "world's greatest detective".

His free hand lifted, running his thumb along his bottom lip in thought - still absently staring at the girl who had made his heart race. He wasn't the "world's greatest" anything nowadays. The title had been given to his successor, Near (or N), who he was quite proud of. He had resolved the Kira case with ease - thanks to the help of himself who had left many traces of information to his successor before "dying."

Because he should have died. But he didn't...

Movement in front of his eyes made his mind return to the cafe. In trepidation, he watched the girl stand from her seat and approach him with her book in one hand and her drink of some sort in the other. If his heart had raced before, it was completely silent now.

Silently, he stared at her as she sat in the chair opposite him. Giving him a friendly smile, she sat her book and drink down on the coffee table between them.

"Hello," she greeted politely - which was strange because normally if someone were to be staring at someone, he assumed they'd be uncomfortable and possibly leave the cafe all together. But she was different, he could tell from the start.

"Hi," he returned smoothly that didn't reflect how he felt on the inside. Which was excited and nervous all at the same time.

When he spoke to her, her eyes lit up and he watched them twinkle in interest. It was as if him speaking to her at all had made her life complete...

"I noticed you staring at me for a while and I sort of assumed you might be the shy type that doesn't confront people often - if ever - so I thought I might come and introduce myself if you don't mind," she said happily, before sticking an orange colored mittened hand towards his face. "I'm AJ."

He was stunned by her honesty and appraisal of him, with only a few minutes for an assumption and for, well - a stranger. She had to be intelligent - or just keenly observant. This was the point though, that he had a hard time with. Giving his name freely would leave him vulnerable and if he said his "alias" name to her, she would assume his previous identity.

AJ. Her name was AJ? He wondered if it stood for her real name but he didn't push the issue because he understood. She either wanted to keep her real name private - which was smart due to the fact that Kira (although dead) was supposed to be still out there somewhere to the public's knowledge, or it was because it was some nickname that someone had given to her at some point in her life.

Taking a deep breath and deciding at last minute, he took her hand with his.

"I'm Lawliet."


	2. Chapter 2

"It's a wonderful day to come to a cafe like this one, isn't it? I absolutely love this time of year," AJ said, lifting her legs to the chair next to her to get more comfortable.

Lawliet had still yet to take his eyes off of her, even when he took a drink from his warm extremely sugary coffee. "Yes, I suppose so," he said.

"Do you like Christmas, Lawliet?" she asked him curiously, with genuine interest.

Lawliet grew a little uncomfortable at her question, but didn't allow her to see it. He hadn't ever really had a stereotypical Christmas before. In Wammy's, they did have Christmas feasts and gift giving. But he hadn't really stuck around long enough to get used to it. Plus, the only person who had ever given him a present had been Watari - normally something that he could use in training, or in later years, on a case. After taking on the role of "world's greatest detective", Lawliet hadn't the time to focus on Christmas anymore. Watari made him his favorites and gave him a small present, but Lawliet had always forgotten the holiday in order to give him one as well. Watari was never offended, of course. He understood how caught up he would get in his cases...

"I can say that I don't not like it," he said with a small shrug of indifference, which made AJ in front of him tilt her head a little with wide eyes. Her eyes were so pretty. Like crystal, or ice. Or... he needed to stop thinking in metaphors.

"You mean to tell me, you don't celebrate Christmas?" AJ asked, reading between the lines rather quickly.

"No. Not in a while at least," he admitted honestly.

"When was the last time you celebrated?" she asked, taking a sip from her drink idly while staring him down as he answered.

"I can't really say when the last time I ever celebrated it - if I ever did. It was always present each time of year on the same day, but I've never been the celebrating type," Lawliet explained.

Instead of looking shocked, the look on AJ's face became contemplative. He could tell she was thinking rather hard and probably quickly. In a matter of seconds she was back to cheerfully speaking to him. "Well maybe you should change that this year," she said then let the subject drop. "So do you come here often?"

Lawliet moved a finger to his lips again, wondering why she was so interested in speaking with him on such a human level. He was quite aware that he was strange - as many told him frequently in his old life. He'd even noticed several stares in his new one as well. He still preferred comfort over style, but had changed the color of his shirt to a black instead of white to not stand out. He made himself wear shoes when he was out of his home, that covered his whole feet and not just the toes, but still refused to wear socks. His jeans were a slight darker color than what he was used to. Despite that, he looked much the same. His hair was still a complete mess - which he didn't pay attention to in the slightest. His eyes, still the same color. He still couldn't sleep, so he wore bags under his eyes like an accessory. He sat in the same way, with his knees brought up to his chest with his hands resting on them - as it helped him keep himself on guard while out and about. And he still couldn't shake the sweet tooth that he had apparently been born with.

"Yes," he answered vaguely, not comfortable enough to speak so easily about his routines. Although he couldn't sense any danger from her, he still had to be careful in this new life. No one must know that he was alive.

AJ either didn't mind that he wasn't elaborating or she didn't even notice. For which either, he was thankful.

"Well, I normally come here every Tuesday afternoon. I work in a bakery full time, so it's nice to settle down with a cappuccino and lounge about. This is the perfect place to do it!" AJ explained happily.

"You work in a bakery?" he prompted, with his sweet tooth he was curious to hear more about what she could cook.

"Mhm!" AJ said before grinning. "It's over on Lancaster Lane, a couple blocks from here. You should come over one day while I'm working, I could give you some of our gingerbread cookie cake that we've begun selling this time of year. I'll even get them to discount you, if I tell them you're a friend."

Lawliet's mouth had begun watering at the sound of "gingerbread cookie cake" but what really set him aback was when she called him her friend. They had only been speaking for mere minutes and already she considered him a friend? Or was she just going to lie to her coworkers in order to get him a discount out of an act of goodwill?

"That's awfully kind of you to offer, AJ. I might just do that one day," he said honestly. That is, if he ever had the sudden want to venture further than this block. However, with the promise of cake, he had to say it was a more than likely chance he'd go. "I do love cake."

AJ giggled girlishly, which he felt himself falling for slightly instead of cringing like when Misa Amane had in the past. AJ's laugh sounded a lot like bells and he did find it endearing. "Then you'll have to come!" she said with a definite nod of her head.

Lawliet felt the pull of his lips begin to curve upwards into a small smile, but caught himself quickly before revealing himself. "I suppose I will," he stated calmly.

AJ smiled brightly and leaned back into her comfy chair, taking another drink from her (he assumed) cappuccino. "So what do you do for a living?"

It was an innocent enough question, he concluded, but it wasn't where he was concerned. He could tell her that he was unemployed, but that might seem like he was some bum. If he told her that he didn't need to work, maybe she'd think it was impressive that he had enough money to do so. Or think he was a complete snob while she slaves away in a bakery for the rest of her life. However, if he told her he used to work as a detective, she might try to investigate him and find out more than he was willing to share. Not that she'd find much on "Lawliet" since no one knew him by that name except Watari.

With a finger to his lips, he spoke through it with a sort of mumble. "I do not need to work," he said, going with the most logical option.

AJ tilted her head, which he realized must be a quirk of hers when she didn't understand something and tried to solve the confusion. "You don't? So does that mean you are wealthy?"

Lawliet nodded once. "Yes. It's true I don't need to work, therefore I don't."

"That's quite impressive at such a young age," she decided aloud and he gave her a calculative look. "Was your family wealthy?"

"You could say that," he went with, relieved to know that his honest confession had been worth it since she was impressed. But did that mean she was interested in men who had money? No... he couldn't say that it was true just yet. She did sit down with him comfortably without knowing that bit of information though. He could have been a bum for all she knew at that time.

"Hmm," AJ said with an understanding nod of sorts. "So if you don't need to work, do you have any hobbies?"

Lawliet just couldn't fathom why she was so interested in him. Out of everyone in the cafe, handsome business men alike, she chose to speak with him. Yes, he had been staring at her, but if she hadn't been interested, she wouldn't be sitting in front of him at all.

"I like chess and read a few books here and there. But I guess you could say, I've been a bit bored lately. Humans need their mind stimulated on a daily basis and a career of any kind will help the brain stay focused. Since I do not need to work, I have to stimulate my mind in other ways. It can be... difficult sometimes."

"So is that why you come here? To get out of your house when you're bored?" she asked curiously.

Lawliet nodded once. "Yes."

"I completely understand," AJ said with a sigh, making him blink a couple times. She did? "Well, if you want, we could meet up every Tuesday and have coffee together... I mean, it's up to you. I don't have many friends either and although we haven't known each other long, I feel like I could get to know you easily."

Lawliet's heart rate picked up quickly again at her second offer. Meet up with her every week? Was that something he could do? I mean, of course he didn't have anything else better to do with his time. But if he got to know her better - which in all honesty he agreed that they could get to know each other easily with how comfortable she did make him - she would begin to realize he was keeping something from her and it would betray her trust...

But he didn't have anything else better to do with his time. She was interesting, pretty, curious about him, and oh so willing to get to know him. The real him - to an extent. He'd be an idiot not to agree to this.

"That would be nice actually," he said which made her sit up in the chair straighter with a grin that stretched across her whole face. How could someone be so happy?


	3. Chapter 3

For the next few Tuesdays, Lawliet found himself anxiously awaiting AJ's smiling face to appear in the window of the cafe before entering. She ordered the same thing each time, a gingerbread cappuccino, and they sat in the same chairs as they had the first time they met. He now knew that her favorite holiday item was gingerbread. She liked to twirl her hair around a finger when she was relaxed and she smiled often to herself when she felt the warmth of the fire hit her. He could tell she thought deeply and saw things many others didn't - which was interesting all in itself. She had spoke of her parents who separated early on in her life (breaking the assumption that she had a happy parents) and had not seen her father since. Her mother had done the best that she could as a single parent and a minimum wage income. But she had been happy and it had taught her to be grateful for what she had and to make the most out of her life while she lived there.

Lawliet appreciated that way of looking at the world. His whole life had been shadowed over death, murder, and all sorts of cases that had taken his interest at the time. He had put his life on the line with Kira and had been supposed to die during it. Not once, not until now, had he realized that the world had a lot to offer... like AJ.

And what he really noticed about her, was that she liked him for him. He had informed her that he was an orphan and had been raised by a man that had recently died. He lived on his own and that it could get lonely at times. She hadn't once judged him or pried into any information that he didn't want to reveal, as if sensing he couldn't or wouldn't, and accepting it for what it was. She also hadn't ever commented on his quirks either - like his sitting habits or when he would slip his shoes off absently and reveal his toes to her. She didn't mind that he hunched over or when he found himself unable to speak for a long period of time because he was thinking to fast and deeply.

All of that made him like her even more so than he already did.

Christmas Eve fell on a Tuesday and so Lawliet sat himself down in his regular chair by the fire, staring at the Christmas tree to his left that was heavily decorated with ornaments and lights. His eyes glanced upwards frequently to the door to see if he could spot AJ entering.

Thankfully, she did sooner rather than later, wearing a pair of skinny legged jeans along with her ensemble of outerwear. She looked to be less cheerful than she usually did upon seeing him and ordered her drink with a solemn smile before walking over and sitting down across from him.

"Arrre you all right?" he asked her in concern. Christmas was her favorite holiday and would have assumed she would be ecstatic with energy of the holiday season since it was here.

AJ pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth, her eyes still refusing to look up at his. "I... I accidentally killed my hamster this morning."

Lawliet stared at her then, hardly knowing what to say to that confession. He had made it his whole life's business to make people confess to murder, but this girl in front of him just spoke it easily with the utmost regret and heartache that he had ever heard. And he hadn't known she had a hamster.

"May I ask what happened?" he asked warily, not sure if she wanted to speak about the details just yet since she seemed to be devastated.

Sniffling, AJ's shoulders slumped. "I put her in her ball last night, to run around after I got home from work. It was pretty late and there had been tons of orders because of Christmas parties and such. I was exhausted... so I... well I woke up this morning and realized I had fallen asleep and had left her in her ball all night. She was... dead. I killed her."

Lawliet became silent, mulling over what she had told him. He honestly didn't know too much about hamsters, but knew enough about humans that preferred animal companions to know that this was tragic in her life. And on her favorite holiday, no less. If he had felt more comfortable with the idea of physical contact - or just had the nerve to do so - he would have pulled her into his arms and hugged her until she felt better.

But since that wasn't going to happen, Lawliet put a finger to his lips. "Well, it was an accident AJ. Accidents do intend to happen because humans are not perfect. You were extremely tired which can render the mind into a state of thoughtlessness. I know that guilt and regret may be eating at you at this moment, but please do not beat yourself up over it. I, more than many, know you are not the type of person to do this deliberately."

AJ nodded gently, before raising her eyes to meet his for the first time that afternoon. The whites of her eyes were red from crying, giving her a wild look with her icy blue irises. He could tell she had been crying for some time and probably had almost not come that day to meet him. He was thankful she had so she wasn't alone during this.

"Thank you Lawliet," she said appreciatively and he nodded once, willing himself not to blush at the way she spoke. Her face fell again though and he could tell the hamster incident wasn't the only thing that had made her upset. "It's not just that though... my mother isn't coming for Christmas. She met a man in France and will be with him this week. I'm... not invited."

Lawliet suddenly felt a strange sense of anger at the woman that gave birth to this beautiful woman in front of him. He might not know a lot about parents, but he knew enough that it wasn't right for AJ's mother to do something like that to her. Especially if she knew how much Christmas meant to her daughter.

"I see," he said, keeping his voice calm.

"I suppose I'll pick up a shift tomorrow at the bakery, to keep my mind off of it. It's open, you know? On Christmas. I normally request off, since my mother comes to town. But this year, well..." he watched as her voice trailed off and she took a deep breath to steady herself before she began crying again. He felt pity towards her, wishing there was something he would be able to do to make her feel better. "I brought you a Christmas present though."

That threw him off and he almost fell out of his chair. She grabbed her colorful purse and pulled out a small paper bag that she seemed to have stuck a blue Christmas bow to it. "Here," she said with a small smile. "It's nothing much, but I remembered that you had wanted to try it."

Lawliet took the bag with his finger and thumb, staring at it as if it would explode in his hands if he took his eyes off of it for a second. She had gotten him a present? Who was this woman?

"I-I" his voice cracked for the first time ever. He didn't know what to say. "I didn't get you anything. You shouldn't have -"

"Nonsense!" AJ interrupted with a sudden narrow of her eyes. "Please open it. And I don't need anything!"

Lawliet wanted to argue further, but the curiosity of what lay inside the bag made him open it. Inside, was a small piece of cake wrapped in plastic wrap. There was a Christmas sticker with the "To:" and "From:" along with a snowman catching snowflakes. She had written on it in purple ink: "To: My new friend Lawliet" "From: AJ".

When he had told Light Yagami that he was his first friend, he hadn't spoken the whole truth. Yes, maybe they could have been friends had he not been Kira. More than likely. But he had been Kira and their friendship had never blossomed.

With AJ, it was different. She wasn't a murderer (despite knowing the hamster situation) and he wasn't trying to prove her guilty for a crime. She liked him for him and he liked her for her. It was a friendship that was blossoming without them even trying and he found himself appreciating her and the fact that she was in his life now.

"It's the gingerbread cookie cake, from the bakery I work at. I made this one," she said with a small sense of uncertainty, like if she was wondering if he would refuse.

Him? Refuse cake? "Thank you very much AJ." He gently unwrapped the cake and took a bite out of it - and oh my goodness it was good. Delicious even. She was an excellent baker! "Mmmm," he couldn't help but appreciate.

Her eyes lit up and she grinned in her seat, making him feel relieved he could cause her happiness on such a sad day for her. "Ooh I'm so glad you like it!" she exclaimed joyfully.

After the cake was gone, he looked at her with a small curve of his lips. "That was incredibly delicious and thoughtful, AJ. You're by far the most wonderful friend I could have," He spoke without really thinking about it. But once the words were out, he decided he meant them wholeheartedly. He couldn't ask for anyone better to open up to... and he felt like he needed to reciprocate.

A beautiful strawberry blush crept onto her face at his compliment and AJ ducked her head bashfully. "I'm just glad you liked it, Lawliet," she giggled.

"AJ," he said suddenly and she rose her head up in alert at the sound of his voice. "Would you do me the honors of coming over to my townhouse for Christmas tomorrow?"

Her jaw slacked in response, eyes wide, and he felt his palms begin to sweat against his jean clad knees. His heart raced and his breathing picked up. This must be what "afraid of rejection" feels like.

"I... don't know what to say Law- I mean, yes of course! If you really want me to," she answered through the most gorgeous grin he had ever seen on her face. It made her eyes sparkle tens times more than usual. He decided he wanted to see it as frequently as he could.

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't, AJ," he said with a nod of his head which she giggled at. "Meet me outside the cafe at one o'clock tomorrow."

AJ nodded enthusiastically, her tragic day long forgotten. "It's a deal!"


	4. Chapter 4

AJ appeared around the corner, practically skipping up the sidewalk with a grin on her face. She was wearing green tights under her coat and boots, but that was all he could see for the time given. Her hair was curled nicely around her face, which he adored but found that he slightly missed her natural waves. Eyes sparkling like always, Lawliet felt his lips curve upwards when she came to a stop in front of the cafe.

"Merry Christmas!" she chirped brightly and he nodded his head once.

"Merry Christmas AJ," he responded. "Follow me."

"Okay."

Glancing behind him a couple times in order to make sure she was still following, he took her across the street towards the townhouses. Allowing her inside the building, he held his door open for her so she could enter. She gave him a hesitant smile as she passed, making his heart beat quickly.

This was an enormous step in his new life. He was allowing someone into it. This wasn't something he took lightly.

Tongue now swollen in his mouth, preventing him from speaking, he closed the door silently behind him and walked into the sitting room. She had been staring around at the seemingly empty house in interest, but then realized he had left the foyer and then ventured after him.

He watched her reaction at the attempted set up he had made for her, and saw her eyes light up and her mouth curve into a definite "O".

"Oh... my god," she breathed, taking in the digital Christmas tree on the screen of his laptop - twinkling with multi-colored lights and a star on top. There were many different sorts of sweets sitting around it, on the coffee table, and two mugs with a coffee pot sitting in between them. It was the best he had been able to do at such short notice, the Christmas tree being the highlight. He'd been searching for something like it online all night long and finally decided to just make it himself. The colors of it made him think of her.

"Shall you join me?" he asked her quietly, gesturing to the sofa behind the coffee table. He sat down in his usual position and took the coffee pot to pour the coffee into the mugs. "I don't have cappuccino but I found a cappuccino flavor creamer if you'd like," he said awkwardly, pointing to a small bottle of creamer on the table.

She sat down breathlessly next to him - making him almost become off balanced at how close they were now sitting. He could literally feel her body heat now. They had never been this close before. He swallowed nervously.

"You did all of this for me, Lawliet?" she asked him with a turn of her head in his direction, eyes wide. He looked at her then, briefly, before taking around five sugar cubes to drop into his mug.

"Yes," he stated simply. He knew if he had to say anymore, he might say something he might not necessarily mean to. Especially with the way the strawberry scent that seemed to radiate off of her kept wafting into his senses. Damn, did he love strawberries.

"I think you were wrong yesterday," she said, drawing his attention back to the conversation at hand. He looked at her oddly. He was never wrong... She grinned at him then. "You, Lawliet, are the most wonderful friend I could ever have."

He had never blushed in his life, yet his face grew hot and uncomfortable. He dropped his dark eyes back to his mug before taking a drink of it - hoping it would hide the color. He didn't need her to know how embarrassed he was, if not flattered.

She slid her coat off of her shoulders then, brushing his arm with hers by accident. It sent every hair on his arm straight up and tingly - despite wearing a warm black long sleeved shirt. She didn't seem to notice but he definitely did. He avoided eye contact - until she reached for the creamer to fill her mug of coffee with. Her arm was bare and he was momentarily thrown off guard - again. He had never seen her skin like that before, as she either kept her coat on during their meetings or wore a long sleeved shirt of some kind.

Curiously, he allowed his eyes to travel up from her hand curved around the mug - watching her delicate long fingers - up her smooth creamy arm to the emerald green velvet short sleeve that covered only her shoulders. She was wearing a dress. An awfully beautiful one, he might add. It dipped slightly between her breasts, allowing him a slight peek of her cleavage from the height of his position, and cut short above her knees. It flattered her body perfectly.

"Do you like it?" she suddenly asked and he drew his gaze away immediately in order to not get caught staring at her form.

"Like what?" he asked her, grabbing for a marshmallow rather quickly to distract himself and his thoughts.

"The dress, I mean. You were looking at it, so I wondered if you liked it? I wore it, in hopes that you would," she admitted freely with a smile. He looked at her then, eyes wide. So he had been caught. Damn. At least she didn't seem offended by it. In fact, she looked flattered.

"Y-yes," he said through his mouthful of marshmallow, with a nod. "It's... pretty." He didn't think he had ever said that word aloud in his life.

He watched her eyes light up as he chewed the marshmallow in his mouth. Then, before he even could think about swallowing in order to save his life from choking on it - she leaned over and kissed him upon his cheek with her strawberry scented lips that he had stared at on more than one occasion.

It was swift, quick, and completely innocent. But it sent his heart into overdrive and his mind spinning. His eyes were wide and he didn't think he could swallow the marshmallow properly for a couple minutes. He couldn't even make himself chew - it was like his whole body had become frozen with tingles and shock, with a welcoming feeling of warmth throughout him.

"Thank you Lawliet," she said softly before quickly turning to her mug and taking a drink. "Mmm, it tastes just as wonderful!" she commented.

Lawliet was too stunned to speak. He had just been kissed by her.

"Oh! I know! I'll turn some Christmas carols on from my cell phone!" she said brightly, grabbing her purse to pull her phone out. In a matter of seconds, his sitting room was filled with joyful music singing about Christmas.

Honestly, he was thankful for the distraction and he eased himself to relax and take another drink of his coffee after finally swallowing his chewed up marshmallow.

"Here!" she threw up a candy cane into his face, which he stared down at it before looking up at her smiling face. "Stir it into your coffee! It'll taste amazing!"

Lawliet felt his mouth curve upwards again and he took the candy cane with his finger and thumb, to stir at his coffee with it before taste testing. "Mmm, you're quite right," he said with an appreciative sigh.

She giggled and brushed his arm with her hand before doing the same with a candy cane of her own. He tried not to jolt in his seat at the touch but quickly concluded she might be the actual death of him. Kira couldn't do it, but she sure would.

Soon, they found themselves relaxing in each other's company and Lawliet was able to speak freely with her like they normally would in the cafe. He found that she was very enjoyable company and that he was positive Watari was staring down at him with a smirk upon his face. He was falling for this girl - he just knew it.

Some time that night, with too much coffee and sweets in their system, AJ stood suddenly from her lounge position on his sofa and stuck her hand out to his face. He followed her arm to her face with his eyes.

"Dance with me!" she said with a cheerful grin.

Lawliet's eyes almost widened but didn't, because her eyes were firmly trained on him and he didn't want to show her his actual feelings towards the subject of dancing...

"I-I can't dance, AJ," he said quickly, hoping she'd not push the subject.

"Everyone can dance, silly! It's just moving your feet and hips. Please?! This is my favorite song!" she said with a small adorable pout that he knew he wouldn't be able to refuse no matter if his life depended on it. She was referring to a song that spoke of "Chestnut's roasting on an open fire" or something or other. It was difficult to listen to a song when your heart was pounding in your ears.

Lawliet sighed and forced himself to stand, not wanting to upset her since he had intentionally wanted her to not think about her hamster or mother this day. Only happiness... and if this made her happy then, well, so be it. Comfort be damned.

Yes, he was falling hard.

She took his hand in hers before he could stuff it into his pocket, and pulled him gently to the clearing in front of his fireplace that he had never used. She was smiling so fondly that he couldn't stop staring at it as if it was a delicious slice of strawberry shortcake.

"Okay, so you put this hand on my waist - " she instructed by putting the hand that was in hers onto the small of her waist which he absolutely was stunned he didn't faint at. She felt warm under his palm and the dress was incredibly soft. "Then this hand -" she grabbed his wrist that belonged to the hand that had reached his pocket upon standing. "Goes in mine." She lifted their clasped hands to the lower side of their faces. She lay a heated hand on his shoulder. "Then all you have to do is sway in time with the music."

Lawliet felt her softly move in his grasp, making him awkwardly move with her. He felt oddly out of place and her close proximity to his face was making his face grow hot. This time, however, he was unable to hide it.

She thankfully didn't comment, but smiled warmly to him as the song continued to play and their bodies moved together. He quickly got the hang of it, since they were barely moving, as the song was rather slow. She glanced around the room frequently with her ever present smile as he continued to stare straight ahead at her face in wonder. This woman was amazing to him.

Slowly, he watched her head fall gently to his hunched shoulder and she sighed against him - making his heart flutter and his breathing hitch. "Thank you Lawliet. This has been the best Christmas I have had in a very long time," she breathed to him quietly.

"No, thank you AJ," he mumbled with a curve of his lips.

**Author's Note:**

> Death Note has taken over my life.
> 
> Please forgive the randomness of the story - it just wanted to be written down for my own enjoyment.
> 
> To be continued...


End file.
